Adrift in Starlight (The Halcyon Universe Book 1)

SCI-FI: Titan Valentino, also known as Tai, is a gender-neutral courtesan. They are approached by a wealthy man looking to loosen up his very tightly-wound fiancée. Tai can’t pass up the job because they need the money. Aisha Malik never agreed to an engagement. She has worked very hard in her field and doesn’t plan to give any of it up. Not to mention, she is also asexual, so her assumed future husband does not entice her to say the least. She meets Tai, and they immediately form a bond. But who wouldn’t form a bond when a discovered fossil comes back to life and is now on the run from the Authorities? Despite everything they have been through, the most devastating aspect to their relationship will be the secrets that they keep…

“Adrift in Starlight” entices with intergalactic adventure, dragons, and pirate duels, but the real star is the representation! It’s rare to see such accurate representation of nonbinary and asexual characters who are also dazzling in their own right. Both main characters are determined and working hard to better themselves. However, the issue in this book does not lie with the characters, it is the plot. Though exciting and fun at times, many small plot points aren’t well fleshed out. Several interesting aspects are brought up never to be seen again, almost as if a little too much is happening throughout the book. It might have been better to tackle one thing at a time. This lack of direction also slows the pace. Despite that, this is the first book in the series, and it shows a lot of promise for later books!

Amanda Hupe